A common method of making electrical connections is to provide a terminal post to which a conductor may be connected by any one of several preexisting methods. For example, in the wiring of complex electronic circuits for computers or other relatively complex devices, panel boards are frequently used having a multiplicity of terminal posts mounted thereon in accordance with a coordinate grid system. The wiring pattern for the device is then achieved by electrically connecting selected posts by means of suitable conductors. In accordance with prior art practice the individual conductors may be connected to the individual posts by, for example, soldering, by welding, and by wrap type connections in which the end of the conductor is wrapped around the post.
Terminal posts are also frequently used for less complex electrical devices such as motors, relays, automotive and aircraft equipment, and appliances. Many different sizes of posts are used although in a given piece of equipment, it is common to use one size for all connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,757 discloses a termination which consists of a wire, solid or stranded, connected to a rectangular post by means of a clip and retained under sustained pressure. Mechanical energy is stored in the clip in the form of elastic stresses which are generated when the clip and wire are applied to the post. In essence, it is a compressed spring which maintains a continual force between the wire and post.
This type of clip is useful in many situations, however several problems exist. When the wire is connected to the post, the wire must be stripped of insulation, pre-formed and applied to the post under the clip. It would prove beneficial if, during the application of the clip and wire, no material forming were required. Another problem associated with the prior art clip relates to its reliability in harsh conditions. Due to the configuration of the clip, the clip may deform in the plastic region, thereby causing the normal force to be insufficient to accommodate for the dimensional variations imposed by manufacturing tolerances and thermal cycling. It would therefore, prove beneficial to have an improved clip which, when subjected to extreme conditions, would deform only in the elastic range.